MEDIA ADVISORY: Urban Poor To Support Farmers’ Final Effort to Push Land Reform

Attention: News Editor, News Desk, Reporters

MEDIA ADVISORY

Urban Poor To Support Farmers’ Final Effort to Push Land Reform

Unless a miracle happens, Congress will be writing finis to an unfinished reform program - the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).

Urban poor settlers will support farmers’ final effort to push for extension and revision of CARP, which is set to expire on Dec. 31.

Just like the landless farmers, leaders of the urban poor sector believe that equitable sharing of land and resources will help cure the root problems of poverty and urbanization.

An estimated 16.5 million, roughly 30 percent, of the urban population continue to live in informal settlements and slums, sometimes built on riverbanks, railroad tracks and other high-risk areas, with limited basic infrastructures and services, without legal security of tenure and under constant threat of eviction.

In this regard, the Urban Poor Associates (UPA) request your presence at a press briefing to be held at the Max’s Restaurant tomorrow (December 9) 11:00 AM.

The farmers, in solidarity with similarly poor urban communities, their advocates and the religious shall join hands on December 10 (Wednesday) to press for the dawning of equity and justice through the passage of CARP extension with reforms.

Date: December 9, 2008 (Tuesday)

Time: 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM

Venue: Max’s Restaurant, Elliptical Road, Quezon City Memorial Circle